More side mission Variety?

[Spearhead]

Hi everybody! Whilst playing on I&A, I notice that a lot of the time the side mission is either ignored or failed because nobody is supporting the lone wolf player there. The reason I think this happens is that the side mission isn't 'interesting' enough.

 

What I'm suggesting is a larger variety of side missions that really deviate from the main AO. To think of a few, there could be a patrol mission in which the players must follow a set of waypoints with maybe a mini-objective at each one; or maybe a mission where the players must relieve a friendly (AI) force that is under attack.

 

I know i don't have a lot of ideas to back this up but I reckon it could work with some thought from the great minds behind the missions.

 

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Another idea I had whilst writing this was maybe a rewards 'choice' system within the side mission. Like maybe once the mission is complete, a computer spawns and players can choose from, lets say 3, possible rewards in the scroll menu. I reckon this would encourage people to complete the side mission and maybe to work as a team, and it would also see the end of the lonely, dusty Mora that always sits at the rewards pad.

 

Just an idea, feel free to tell me I'm wrong. Thanks for reading! 

 

P.S. I forgot the check if there was already a post about this 

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This has been mentioned before, my bad.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Spearhead

[Archon]

Even though this has already been suggested, it is still a good idea

The side missions very rarely gather many players. Pilots don't often go to them, even to pick up players who have completed them and they are often failed by people who don't know that if they destroy that ifrit then the intel is destroyed as well. All of this adds to the repetitive nature of the side missions and means that most people just tend to ignore them.

It might also help if the rewards were used more effectively, far too often we are rewarded with a Blackfoot or wipeout which could have a big effect, but watch a pilot that doesn't know how to use it fly our shiny new aircraft into the middle of an ao and get blotted out of the sky by a million AA missiles. I don't know what we can do about this but I think feeling that completing side missions has a genuine effect would encourage people to give them a go!

Okay there's my opinion, go back to whatever you were doing

[Spearhead]

Yes that's what i notice a lot, people just ignore the side mission. And I also agree about the rewards. Many people just throw away the rewards or don't use them because it's a crappy strider. Earlier today, for example, I played gunner in the Kajman with one of the pilots (who's name i can't remember) and we annihilated most of the vehicles in the AO because we used it effectively and worked together.

 

But yes, sadly, many rewards are wasted or forgotten; such as the A10 that was crashed and had a lot of people raging that day lol.

[TheScar]

for example, I played gunner in the Kajman .... xx not important xx .... and we annihilated most of the vehicles in the AO because we used it effectively and worked together.

 

 

 

stopped reading there ...

[Spearhead]

 

stopped reading there ...

lol

[BACONMOP]

Well the problem is that no one seems to really want to help make side missions. I have gotten very few competent side mission submissions. I still have to test the 2 that were sent to me recently as well as work on the massive amount of stuff I am currently working on that are not side missions. So if you think you have a good idea for a side mission please do not just share the idea but work on making it.

[Spearhead]

Well the problem is that no one seems to really want to help make side missions. I have gotten very few competent side mission submissions. I still have to test the 2 that were sent to me recently as well as work on the massive amount of stuff I am currently working on that are not side missions. So if you think you have a good idea for a side mission please do not just share the idea but work on making it.

 

Yes I can understand if you are unable to make new side missions for whatever reason (it's obviously just one of many hard tasks that the server maintenance presents) and I'd love to help but my ability in the 3D editor is... non-existent, and my ability in the 2D editor is based on memory from Arma 2. If only Zeus had more tools or I had the patience to learn the editor   . I could, however, make very basic versions of the ideas I have within a singleplayer mission but I don't know how I would get them to you for testing. Oh, and also my ideas are terrible....

 

So if theres anybody out there who's a good editor.....

Or who has good ideas......

 

I appreciate that your job is very hard and I feel bad that I can't be of more help 

 

I will have a crack at creating a few basic templates to work from, though. It's the least I can do to help out.

[S0zi0p4th]

Hej Spearhead plz look in this thread  http://www.ahoyworld.co.uk/topic/5361-side-mission-idea/ Josh is pointing out how side misions are done in the rough line

[Spearhead]

Ok thanks for pointing me there S0zi0p4th, I do already have a 'mission' created. It's not really a mission but a 'template' for how the area would look with a few BLUFOR guards and such. I have done as much as I can without spending days searching the internet and -believe me- It's really, really bad. But I'm sure the great minds of Ahoyworld can manipulate the idea in a way which works.

 

Also, I did kind of forgot what I was doing half way through and I kind of... umm.... made it depressing. I even added sad music and a dead civilian with a gun next to him.....

 

BUT, the idea is still very much there if you would like to view it (If so, please tell me how to get it to you). I would recommend preparing something to cool you off after you get very angry at how i wasted your time though   .

 

I will take a look at that post you linked and hopefully my next.... 'Idea mission thingy' will be a bit more helpful and usable - That is, if you still want my input after seeing what I can (or rather can't) do with the editor.

 

P.S. Lots of map markers and text boxes on the screen.

 

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I just looked at the post by Josh. I'm clueless   . I'll give it a shot but if i can't figure it out i won't waste any more of anybody's time   . My idea was completely different to how it's actually done, I had an idea of a fixed mission which spawns in the set location if the area is far from an AO. I now see that It's a more generalised mission which can spawn anywhere so all my ideas are even more useless than when I started this post...

 

I really can't begin to grasp all the code and script, let alone change it into a new and workable mission. So - i'll attempt to turn my 'Idea mission thingy' into a usable side mission but I very much doubt I can do it. 

 

I feel a bit dumb but who are you if you can't laugh at yourself! 

Edited March 31, 2016 by Spearhead

[Jason.]

I do already have a 'mission' created.

 -believe me- It's really, really bad.

Also, I did kind of forgot what I was doing half way through

I would recommend preparing something to cool you off after you get very angry at how i wasted your time though   .

if you still want my input after seeing what I can (or rather can't) do with the editor.

I'm clueless   . 

if i can't figure it out i won't waste any more of anybody's time   . 

all my ideas are even more useless than when I started this post...

I very much doubt I can do it. 

I feel a bit dumb but who are you if you can't laugh at yourself! 

 

Someone promote this guy to Core Staff already!

 

Seriously though, a little optimism wouldn't hurt here

[Spearhead]

Someone promote this guy to Core Staff already!

 

Seriously though, a little optimism wouldn't hurt here

 

Haha, I think core staff is quite far off for me yet. 

 

As for optimism, I'm too busy laughing at myself 

 

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So, after a long time finding names and sitting there being confused to hell, I managed to manipulate the Radar data mission into the exact same thing...... but with a crashed helicopter and some 'Recon Data' instead of 'Intel'. It is, put simply, the same as the radar mission but hopefully the new idea will get a squad on the side mission - even if it's only once.

 

 

 

http://pastebin.com/ALkdN2Pp

 

^^There's the link^^

It's just a radar data mission with a different theme, I'm only hoping that the scripting is correct but if it does get used in I&A then (alongside being confused at how) I'll feel quite proud of myself   

 

And by the way, I incinerated the first "idea mission thingy' so don't worry - your sanity is safe! 

Edited March 31, 2016 by Spearhead

[PiranhA]

Im not eating spaghetti every day tho i like it. If something comes across ive never had before im the first to try it out, not affraid to be disappointed. If you need some help with the online taesting you can let me know. 

[Spearhead]

Im not eating spaghetti every day tho i like it. If something comes across ive never had before im the first to try it out, not affraid to be disappointed. If you need some help with the online taesting you can let me know. 

 

I'd love some help with the testing since I have no idea how I'm supposed to test ( ) it because I noticed some of the script relies on there being an AO and a respawn area, which there will not be in my 'test'.

[TheScar]

 

 

 

 

For testing (in short) its best to dePBO the mission file,find the side mission folder and delete the existing ones,then paste your "new" mission in it and PBO the stuff again,put it in your mPmission cache and host it on via MPmenu  on (pw protected) LANserver so you can test with a few more people ..

I m not even sure if A3 missions are build same way as A1 and A2 mission were,so my tip might be useless ...

But as you already discovered you need alot of shit installed you never before cared about - thats why i havnt gave it a try yet ...

Everyone got great ideas,but there s very,very little people that can make that idea a working,enjoyable mission  hehehehe

 

Still,dont drop your motivation yet,thats just the usual starter disaster 

[Spearhead]

For testing (in short) its best to dePBO the mission file,find the side mission folder and delete the existing ones,then paste your "new" mission in it and PBO the stuff again,put it in your mPmission cache and host it on via MPmenu  on (pw protected) LANserver so you can test with a few more people ..

I m not even sure if A3 missions are build same way as A1 and A2 mission were,so my tip might be useless ...

But as you already discovered you need alot of shit installed you never before cared about - thats why i havnt gave it a try yet ...

Everyone got great ideas,but there s very,very little people that can make that idea a working,enjoyable mission  hehehehe

 

Still,dont drop your motivation yet,thats just the usual starter disaster 

 

Ok so now i know how to test it   . Can anybody link me the mission file for the standard public AW server?

If so, that would be great!

Edited April 1, 2016 by Spearhead

[Spearhead]

Hey guys! I'm extremely happy and surprised at myself to announce the completion (including testing) of my new side mission idea. 

 

Here's the link: http://pastebin.com/PRYz6EUP

 

Please, if you're an admin or core staff or whatever can you take a look and maybe even include it in Invade and Annex?

 

Many thanks to Josh for making a mission file available and of course to you guys that responded to my posts for helping me and pointing me in the right direction! 

[TheScar]

reads up nicely - theme is known but adds a nice variety to I+A side missions to spice it up a bit ...

But very nice for a first one,thumbs up

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and

 

[Spearhead]

Hello again guys. It's been around a week and a half (maybe 2) and I'm, ah how to not sound like I'm harassing you..... 'anxious' about what's happening with the mission. I know it's a bit crappy and I also understand that core staff / mission devs have a lot of better things to do with their lives, but I kind of want to know what's going on / if you need any help from me etc.

 

So, in short, can I get a quick reply from somebody to say if the mission is being used or (more likely) not being used, or if it's being tested, or if you have no time to test it........

The list could go on but you get my point. 

 

Thanks again for your patience    (it truly must be unlimited!)